Candy-packing machine



May 20 1924. 1,494;732

E. E. CAHOON CANDY PACKING MACHINE Filed Jan. 20. 1921 4 Sheets- Sheet 1 2L 15201972367": mum/0L W wwwxazwwg May 20, 1924. 1,494.732

E! CAHQON CANDY BACKING MACHINE Filed Jan. 20, L921 4 $heets-$heet 2 I I 0:: i '17.. V I 7 V T 7 In 1/(3 71hr:

May 20, 1924. 1,494,732

' E. E. CAHOON CANDY PACKING MACHINE Fild Jan. 20. 1921 Sheets-Shed 5 May 20 ,;192-4. 1,494.732-

E. E. CAHOON CANDY PACKING MACHINE Filed Jan. 20. 1921 .4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented May 20, 1924.

UNITED STATES EDWARD E.'CAHOON, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN.

cANDY-rAoKmG MACHINE.

Application filed January 20,1921. Serial No. 438,646.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD E. CAHooN,

' a citizen of the United States, residing at Racine, county of Racine, State of VVisconsin, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Candy-Packing Machines,

of which the following is a specification,

reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention has for its object a machine for use in packing articles such as chocolates which are sold in boxes each containing a predetermined assortment. The assortment is carefully planned beforehand to produce a box, the cost of which shall be that determined upon by the designer. Accordingly, the present invention has for its object a machine which shall present to one or two operators, trays containing the several varieties of goods composing the assortment in the predetermined order and at suchspeed that each operator will be able to takeone piece of goods from each of the successive trays and place it in the box in which she is packing, completing the packing of a box at each revolution of the carrier. Machines of this general character have already been pro posed, but the present invention produces a type of machine which is more efficient and satisfactory than machines heretofore in use.

One of the great advantages to be derived from the use of the machine embodying my invention is that the goods to be packed may be kept at any desired temperature without exposing the operators to this temperature. This is a matter of considerable importance, because in the manufacture of chocolates it is important to keep the goods at v a temperature between and Fahrenheit, and it is difficult to get help who are willing to work at this temperature.

Accordingly the machine includes a housing through which cold air is circulated' and within which is a carrier adapted to move a plurality of trays successively past two opposite openings in the housing adjacent which two operators sit. One great advantage of the machine embodying my invention lies in the fact that it may be run at a speed determined by the skill of the operators so that the two slowest operators will not slow down all the packers to their rate of Work.

The machine embodying my invention includes certain devices for protecting the'operator from injury under any circumstances; also toprevent the operator takmg more than one piece from a tray; and .also to enable the operator to stop the machine should any delay occur which might make this necessary.

The inventi from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features thereof will be pointed out and clearly defined in the claims at the close of this specification.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the machine embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a section of a battery of machines embodying my invention, showing the arrangement of tables and conveyor belts.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the devices shown in Fig. 2..

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1, certain parts having been broken away for clearness of illustration.

Fig. 5 is a detail on an enlarged scale of the curtain and door shown on theleft-hand side of Fig. 1. i

Fig. 6 is a detail of the curtain and door shown on the right-hand side of Fig. 1.

Figs. 7 and 8 are details of the conveyor chain and tray-holding mechanism.

Fig. 9 is a front elevation of the driving mechanism.

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the driving mechanism.

Fig. 11 shows a modified form of driving mechanism.

Referring now to the drawings, at 11 is shown a housing and frame work preferably composed of angle irons and sheet metal. At 12is shown an inlet opening for cold air and at .13 an exhaust opening by means of which the temperature on the interior of the housing may be maintained at the point best adapted for the handling of the goods to be packed by the use of the machine. Inside the housing are two pairs of sprocket wheels, the upper pair, one of which is shown at 14:, being driven by a driving mechanism which will be described hereafter, and the lower pair, one of which is shown .at 15, being mounted in sliding boxes 16 which can be adjusted by means of adjusting screws 17 (see Fig. 1). Two chains, 18 and 19, run over the said sprocket wheels and carry a plurality of trays 20 which in on will be fully understoodthe machine shown in the drawings are sixteen in number, so that sixteen kinds of candy may be employed in making up the assortment to be packed. Each tray is provided with upwardly extending arms 21'and 22 of a triangular shape and provided at their upper ends with trunnions 23 engaging special links 24 in the chains 18 and 19 respectively, these special links being provided with lugs which are pierced by holes to receive the trunnions 23. It will therefore be seen that the containers are pivotally suspended from the chain with the centre of gravity much below the point of suspension, so that the chains may be moved rapidly, and the trays will always retain their normal horizontal position. The trays are of large capacity so that they do not require filling oftener than once a day. In the machine shown in the drawings, the chains forming the conveyor move in the direction shown by the arrows, that is, the right-hand run of the chain moves up while the left-hand run moves down.

At 25 and 26 are shown two work tables for the operators which are of the special form shown in Figure. 3, being cut away so that they will partly surround the operator and give her ample space for boxes, liners, collars and other articles commonly employed in packing goods of this character.

The table 25 which is adjacent the ascending run of the conveyor extends up to the housing 11, but the table 26 which is adjacent the descending run of the conveyor is cut away, as shown at a, to reduce the possibility of injury in case the operator puts her hand into the machine just as or after one of the trays has passed the point adjacent the table. At 27 and 28 are shown two openings through which the respective operators reach into the housing to take the goods from the trays as they pass the openings.

To close these openings as much as possible while at the same time permitting convenient access to the interior and for the purpose of avoiding any possible injury to the operators, I partly close each of the openings with yieldingly supported curtains of such a nature that they can be readily moved aside without doing injury to the operator in case she gets her hand into a dangerous position. As the trays are moving in opposite directions onopposite sides of the ma chine, the curtains are constructed differently. The curtain on the left-hand side of the machine, as view-ed in Figure 1, will be clearly understood by an examination of Figure 5. This curtain consists of a sheet of suitable flexible material 29 secured at the bottom, as shown at 30, to the frame of the machine. It is stiffened by battens 31 and 32 which extend slightly beyond the opening and prevent the curtain being pushed or drawn inwardly into the path the opening.

of the conveyor. To the upper batten 32 is secured a pair of springs 33 the upper ends of which are fixed, as shown at 34:, to

the frame of the machine. These springs have just sufficient strength to hold the curtain 29 in the position shown in Figure 5, and yield readily so that they offer no considerable resistance in case the operator gets her hand caughtin the conveyor or attempts to reach down into a tray which has passed The cut-away portion a of the table 26 co-operates with the curtain to prevent any possible injury to the operators arm. At 35 and 36 is shown a two-piece door hinged at 37 to the frame of the machine and so constructed that it may be opened wholly or only in part, as shown in Figure 5. Suitable latches 38 and 39 are provided to hold the parts of the door open when required. The door is constructed as shown so that when the machine is being loaded, the entire door can be opened and ready access had to the interior of the machine. While the machine is running, there will be a smallopening to the interior of the machine toprevent as far as possible the escape of cold air into the room.

The curtain on the right-hand side of the machine is similar in construction to that already described. It consists of a sheet of flexible material 40 secured at 41 to the frame of the machine and provided with a single batten 4-2 at the bottom. It isheld down by springs 43 fastened at 44; to the frame of the machine. It is therefore so constructed that it can be more easily raised in case the operator attempts to follow with her hand the tray which has passed the opening 28.

At 45 and 46 are shown guides having flaring entrances to make it possible to run the machine at relatively high speed with out any danger of the container swinging and doing injury to the interior of the machine or being upset.

In practice, the machines embodying my invention are arranged in series or batteries, each battery being provided with a wrapping table, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. In these figures, the machines are designated A and are placed adjacent a conveyor B driven by a motor C. The wrapping table is indicated at D. The conveyor serves to carry the filled boxes of goods to the wrapping table after the packing has been completed.

The driving mechanism will now be described. driving a belt 48 which runs over a pulley 49. 50 which carries a worm 51. The worm engages with a worm gear 52 on shaft 53 on which is an eccentric gear 78 meshing with a second eccentric gear 79 on shaft 80. The shaft 80 carries also a pinion 81 which This pulley 49 is mounted on a shaft 1 At 4:7 is shown an electric motor meshes with the large gear mounted on the shaft 56 to which the upper sprocket wheels 14 are secured. It will therefore be seen that this mechanism gives to the conveyor chain an alternately fast and slow motion so that each tray will travel slowly past the respective openings in the housing and then will travel rapidly to the next position. v

The pulley 49 is loose on the shaft 50 and is rendered fast thereto by means of a clutch 57 operated by a clutch fork 58 which forms part of an elbow lever 4 pivoted at 59. The rear end of the elbow lever is provided with a tail 60 on which acts a spring 61, the lower end of which is connected to a bracket 62.

The tail 60 is also connected to the free end I of a brake band 63, the other end being fixed, as shown at 64, to a bracket 65. This brake band operates on a brake wheel 66 located on the end of shaft 50. It will. therefore be seen that the spring 61 tends to keep the clutch 57 disengaged and to hold the brake band 63 against the brake wheel 66. The reverse movement is effected by means of an elbow lever 67 pivoted at 68 and connected by a link 69 with the tail 60 of the elbow lever 4. The link 69 and upper arm of the elbow lever 67 to which it is connected, together form a toggle joint. At is shown a stop against which the toggle joint rests when the machine is running. The elbow lever 67 is connected by a link 70 to the arm 71 of a rock shaft pivoted at 72 on the side of the machine. This rock shaft extends across the side of the machine and is connected by suitable links 73 with two knee levers 7 4 located respectively under the tables 25 and 26 in a convenient position where they may be moved by either operator to stop or start the machine. As will be understood, the movement of the lever breaks the toggle joint composed of the parts 67 and 69 and allows the spring 61 to pull down the tail 60 of the elbow lever 4, disengaging the clutch, setting the brake and stopping the machine instantly. Therefore, a slight movement of either operators knee will stop the machine almost instantly. This construction is important because one operator or the other may be de-' layed in her work and, if necessary, either can stop the machine before the tray gets beyond her reach.

In Figure 11, I have shown a slightly modified driving mechanism for the ma chine embodying my invention. This mechanism is constructed to give the conveyor chains a uniform motion. The mechanism differs but slightly from that already described. In this form of the machine the clutch shaft 50 is provided with a worm 5 which meshes with a worm gear 77 mounted on a shaft 8. This shaft carries a pinion 9 which drives the large gear 55 on shaft 56 cause each tray to dwell as it moves past the said opening in the housing.

2. In a candy packing machine, a housing having an opening therein, a series of trays and a conveyor therefor to vmove the trays past the said opening and a yielding curtainv located at the edge of the opening which is passed last by the trays. V

3. In a candy packing machine, a housing having two openings ;on opposite sides thereof, a series of trays, an endless conveyor therefor having two substantiallyver, tical runs moving in opposite directions, and yieldingly supported curtains adjacent said openings.

4. In a candy packing machine, a housing having two openings on opposite sides thereof, a series of trays, an endess conveyor therefor having two substantially vertical runs moving the said trays in opposite directions past the respective openings, and yielding curtains partly closing each opening and located at the edge of the opening which is passed last by the trays.

5. In a candy packing machine,a housing having two openings on opposite sides thereof, a series of trays, an endless conveyor therefor having an ascending and a descending run moving the said trays in opposite directions past the respective openings, a curtain partly closing the opening which gives access to the ascending run, said curtain being suspended by its top and yielding upwardly to permit enlargement of the opening, and a second curtain partly closing the opening which gives access to the descending run, said curtain being secured at its bottom and yieldingly held up so that it yields downwardly to permit enlargement of the said openmg.

6. In a candy packing machine, a housing having an opening therein, a conveyor, a series of trays carried by said conveyor past the said opening, and a curtain defining the edge of the opening which is passed last by the trays, said curtain being secured along an edge away from the opening and having its free edge held toward the opening by springs.

7. In a candy packing machine, a housing having an opening therein, a conveyor, a series of trays carried by said conveyor past the said opening, and a curtain defining the edge of the opening which the trays pass last, said curtain being secured along an edge away from the opening and having its free edge stiffened by a batten and held toward the opening by springs located at the sides of the opening.

8. In a candy packing machine, a housing having two openings on opposite sides there- 'of, a series of trays, an endless conveyor therefor to move said trays successively past the said openings in opposite directions, driving mechanism for said conveyor, stopping mechanism therefor, work tables for the operators adjacent the said openings, a stopping lever for each operator located adjacent each work table and common connecting means between the said two levers and the said stopping mechanism whereby the machine may be stopped or started by either operator.

9. In a candy packing machine, a series of trays, an endless conveyor therefor, a Work table for an operator, driving-means for the endless conveyor comprising a pair of eccentric gears or the equivalent thereof to give to the conveyor a continuous movement at varying speeds, said parts being so constructed as to move each tray past the operators work table at relatively slow speed and to give the same a relatively rapid motion between successive positions.

10. In a candy packing machine, a housing having an opening therein, a series of trays, a conveyor therefor, driving means for the conveyor stopping mechanism including a normally straight toggle joint, a spring tending to move the ends of the toggle members toward each other, a lever within the reach of the operator and connections from said lever to the centre of the toggle joint to move the centre of said toggle joint out of said normally straight position and permit the spring to break the toggle joint and stop the machine.

11. In a candy packing machine, a housing having an opening therein, a series of trays, a conveyor therefor moving the trays downward past the said opening, and a table adjacent the opening in the housing, the said table being cut away on the side next the said opening.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

EDl VARD E. CAHOON. 

